Naomi Osaka posts series of new pictures with boyfriend Cordae
Naomi Osaka seems to be enjoying her time off from tennis. At last week's Met Gala, Osaka was one of the most high-profile names representing the tennis community.
The Japanese star has now posted a series of pictures on social media of herself along with boyfriend Cordae. The two youngsters, posing in a variety of different settings, look fashionably chic in their trendy attire.
Cordae is a well-known American rapper and singer, and he has been in a relationship with the four-time Slam champion for a couple of years now. The 24-year-old has often been spotted in the stands during Osaka's matches.
The recent pictures on Instagram also feature one from the gym, which suggests that Naomi Osaka is keeping up with the daily grind of being a top athlete. While the 23-year-old hasn't confirmed her participation in any event for the rest of the 2021 season, she is on the official entry list of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Naomi Osaka had declared she'd be taking a break from tennis after US Open loss
Naomi Osaka was the defending champion and one of the title contenders going into this year's US Open. And in her third-round match against Leylah Fernandez, the Japanese looked on course for a routine win after going a set and a break up.
However, Osaka got broken while serving for the match. She eventually lost the contest in three sets, and later announced she'd be taking a break from playing tennis.
"Recently, like, when I win, I don’t feel happy," Osaka had said. "I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think that’s normal. Basically I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match."
Current World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has done something similar in the past. Following the conclusion of the 2014 US Open, Barty took a break from playing tennis and pursued other interests.
The Australian started her tennis journey again in 2016, and after two years of steady progress, she had her breakthrough season in 2019. Barty won her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros 2019 and attained the No. 1 ranking shortly after that.
Naomi Osaka's fans and the tennis community at large would be hoping that the Japanese manages to script a similar story, and return to the tour in a healthy head space.